For those interested in the afterlife; and also if communication with the otherside is possible, then this book is a must read. Tatiana writes with passion and is honest when she tells her life story. She comes across as a woman of great courage with deep wells of inner strength, and after reading this book I came away with deep respect for her and her faith. She has had a hard life but it has only made her stronger, wiser and with a deep empathy for those who suffer, so read and enjoy!

As a researcher and writer on the subject of death and dying, I bought this book based primarily on the title and the preface. It was a quick buy in a "New Age" book store in San Francisco. I debated with myself as to whether I really wanted it and whether it would add anything to my research. Feeling somewhat guilty about walking out of the store without a purchase, I bought it. I'm glad I did. However, while the spiritual messages are interesting, it is the historical content that really intrigued me.

The author was an Estonian film critic in the Soviet Union before migrating to the United States. The story of her trials and tribulations with the KGB and other Soviet agencies kept me glued to the book. While we often heard about the cruelties of the Soviet hierarchy and its agencies before wall crumbled, we did not have that many firsthand, personal accounts. To hear or read the author tell it, it was worse than I had imagined. People were afraid to make friends, because even your friends could turn out to be KGB informants. Because of her confrontations with the KGB, the author was reduced from being a respected writer to being a menial laborer.

The author's spiritual awakening after moving to the United States is also very informative and inspiring.

I and my family escaped from Estonia to America during WWII, and this was why Death the Beginning meant so much to me. It vividly portrays the experience of people who have to start over. The book is well written and interesting to read. I liked the author's sense of humour. It is factual and gives you thoughts about afterlife. It is a fascinating book, because it feeds your imagination and soothes your fear of death. After my mother died, she found a way to contact and comfort me, but I was afraid to talk about it. I thought, maybe it was the pressure of a refugee that made me see things that I was not supposed to see. In Death the Beginning I learned that I wasn't alone and similar experiences have happened to other people as well.

Ello Dykstra Newport Beach, California